1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of chemistry, molecular biology, and medicine. More particularly, it concerns compounds that may be used to treat inflammatory diseases or cancer.
2. Description of Related Art
Acquired Chemo-resistance (ACR) is currently the most common cause of treatment failure and early mortality in Diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma (DLBCL), an important lymphoma that currently has a significant unmet need for therapy options. DLBCL, the most common human lymphoma, 1 comprises a genetically and clinically diverse group of aggressive B cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL-B), among a small group of important human cancers increasing in incidence in the US over the last four decades. 2 NHL-B are the fifth most common cancers in the USA (>62,000 new cases/20,000 deaths) expected in 2011.
Some research has suggested that curcumin may exhibit some anti-cancer effects. Curcumin, (1,7-bis[4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl]-1,6-heptadiene-3,5-dione/diferuloyl methane), the main yellow pigment of the Curcuma longa L, has been reported to have antioxidant, antiproliferative and other biological properties. Studies of curcumin in people are still in the relatively early stages. Clearly, there is a need for improved compounds for the treatment of cancer and inflammation.